Love: Too Complicated For Me
by Castle Solo
Summary: Malcolm Reynold's life is turned upside down when he takes on a new passenger. What's left of the broken and ill fitted crew has to learn to adapt.
1. Chapter 1

Mal, Zoe, and Jayne walked up to the fancy doorway. The beautiful green countryside was bathed in the red-orange glow of the sunset. Mal rapped on the door harshly, nervousness and anxiety setting in again. It was a rare event he was nervous about something that didn't involve his ship or any guns. His future scared him even more.

The door opened and in the doorway stood a homely looking woman. She wore the clothing of a servant or perhaps housekeeper. Her warm face held happiness and care; she smiled kindly.

"Welcome Mr…"

"Reynolds." Mal answered shortly.

"Ah, Mr. Reynolds, we've been expecting you. Won't you come in?" The three of them walked in silently. Zoe looked around, surveying the surroundings for any danger. But she smiled as she saw the beautiful paintings and decorations. It held something from every planet and culture. Zoe even saw some stuff from her own home planet. The kindly woman led them to a parlor on the side.

"Please have a seat, make yourself at home. I'll go and tell the headmistress you have arrived. Mr. Reynolds, Miss…" She prompted Zoe for her name.

"Washburn." She answered, her face neutral.

"Miss Washburn and Mr…?" She asked Jayne, but he wasn't paying attention. He was busy seeing who was staring at him from behind. In the hallway three teenage girls stood whispering and pointing and giggling at Jayne. As soon as they realized he was looking at them they all stopped dead and scurried off giggling even harder. The woman chuckled and bowed her head.

"You'll excuse them, they don't see full grown men much. You, forgive me sir, are a unique and sought after dance partner." Mal and Zoe exchanged looks of amusement. Jayne simply looked a little lost. Mal smiled.

"This is Mr. Cobb." He introduced Jayne who was at a loss for words. The woman nodded and bowed graciously.

"_Perfect_, My name is Mrs. Henley, I am the housekeeper and cook. Now, if you will please excuse me," She left the three to sit in the parlor alone.

"Well, looks like Jayne's got himself some admirers." Zoe said as she poured herself a glass of some golden colored liquid.

"Hey, it ain't my fault I've got good looks." Jayne said with a cocky smile.

"Yeah, just keep those good looks to yourself." Mal said, still pacing.

"Sir, why are you so tense?" Zoe asked, looking over her glass. Mal stopped and threw his hands up.

"I'm not tense. Who says I'm tense?" Zoe simply raised an eyebrow. He sighed and plopped down next to her.

"I dunno,"

"Is there something more to the invitation? Something you didn't tell us?" Zoe asked. Jayne walked over and sat in a chair across from them. Opening his jacket he inspected his guns he'd brought along, even though Mal had suggested not bringing any.

"No,"

"Then what is it?"

"Why would anyone summon me to one of these fancy training places? We steer clear of these kinds of things. And they didn't pull any favors. Why am I here?"

"Well, sir, I can't answer that myself. Maybe it's because you're a decent man underneath it all and you want to honor a proper invitation?"

"I dunno." Mal said absent mindedly.

Mrs. Henley returned shortly and ushered them up a flight of stairs and into another room. This new room held a beautiful desk, at which sat a rail thin and sharp looking woman. Mal took this to be the head mistress. She stood and reached her hand out to shake properly. Zoe eyed her up and down. Tall, thin, jet black hair combed into a severe coil, pointed nose, thin lips, this woman looked like an elderly twig. She introduced herself as Mrs. Smith.

"Captain Reynolds, thank you for coming." Mal didn't say anything, what could he say? "Please take a seat." Jayne plopped down in a chair and hung a leg over the armrest. Zoe cleared her throat and, with a frown, he put back in its intended spot.

"You mentioned a proposal?" Mal prompted, trying to blow over Jayne's mishap.

"Yes, you see every student here chooses a career path. And with the schooling they are required to gain first hand experience for six full months. The student in question has chosen to become an ambassador for the Alliance." Mal and Zoe stiffened slightly. "She has already gained her political experience; all she needs now is to gain her traveling experience. We let her choose her mode of transport and she has requested you." The woman paused, letting it soak in.

"Who is this girl?" Mal asked, a little skeptical. He wasn't going to play chaperone for six months over a prissy spoiled bratty teenager.

"Her name is Seion Alexius Jones. She has been here since she was a toddler. One of the staff took her in when her mother died." Mal and Zoe exchanged glances.

"What was her first name again?" Zoe asked.

"Seion, but she goes by Alexis, which is a slight deviation of her middle name." Mal didn't care about the girl's middle name. Her first name translated directly to 'Serenity'. This must have been a coincidence, it had to be.

"She has money and she is willing to pay. Believe me when I say this girl is the most responsible, respectful, and gracious young woman I've ever taught. It is why I have allowed her the choice of her transportation." This still didn't set Mal's skepticism to rest. And Mrs. Smith could see that.

"Would like to meet her? I'm sure she'd be more than happy to make your acquaintance." Mal looked to Zoe, who gave him a look that said _Its your decision_.

"Yes, I'd like to meet her."

"Very good. If you'll just follow me," Mrs. Smith opened the door and led them out. A few paces down Mrs. Smith stopped.

"I forgot. Tonight is the fall festival. There is to be a ball held soon. But before there is the Dance club's Exhibition Match. Would you hate it if you waited until afterwards until you were introduced?" Mal could almost laugh at all the fuss these people made. If he'd had to go here he'd be clawing at the windows and bolting at the first chance he got.

"No problem, we can wait."

"Oh thank you. Why don't you come and watch? I'm told this will be the best display of their works yet." Mal and Zoe just smiled. Jayne was bored and he wasn't afraid to show it with a loud sigh.

They entered a beautiful ballroom filled with light and laughter. Children, ranging in age from ten to twenty, all stood about the edge of the room. Interspersed between them adults, watched over the event. Probably staff, Mal thought. All were dressed elegantly. Nothing extravagant like the things Inara wore to parties, but more along the lines of simply beautiful. Zoe again surveyed their surroundings, looking for possible escape routes. Everyone seemed to be waiting for something to happen, something to occur.

Suddenly a band on the second level began to play a loud dramatic melody. The lights in the room dimmed which made the spotlight shine brightly over the stairs at the other end of the room. Mal raised an eyebrow to Zoe who just shrugged. Atop the stairs a couple appeared. The girl's dress was a creamy ivory with black accents while her partner, a dashing young man, had a black suit with an ivory vest beneath. He spun her around, grabbed her again and dipped her just as the music had built. Behind them more couples appeared, all moving swiftly and smoothly. All of them descended the stairs, their dresses and suits a blur of pastel colors intermixed with flashes of black. Their movements were in perfect synchronization. Every face held a different expression to match the mood of the dance. The first girl, though, had the most expression and passion in her eyes as she danced in her ivory dress.

Half an hour later, they concluded their exhibition with a great finale and bow. Mrs. Smith got up to say a few words.

"Ladies, and Gentlemen, students of Briolle Academy, please give a warm round of applause for our school's Dance Club." An eruption of applause filled the polished room. "And please give a hand to the Club President, Miss Jones!" The spotlight flipped from Mrs. Smith to the crowd of dancers. The girl in the ivory dress stepped forward and bowed modestly. The light was again on Mrs. Smith. "Now, I will not deprive you of any more of your Fall Festival Celebration any longer. Let this ball begin!" The band upstairs struck up a light tune and all the students cheered.

Mrs. Smith made her way back to Mal, Zoe, and Jayne. On her way she stopped at the girl in the ivory dress. Mal thought she was congratulating her, but a moment later the girl was excusing herself from her friends and following her Headmistress through the crowd.

"Miss Jones, I'd like you to meet Captain Reynolds. Captain, this is Miss Alexis Jones." Mal couldn't help but stare at this girl, this teenage girl. She had familiar tropical blue eyes that were playful and stern at the same time. Those eyes looked older than her 16 year old self. Her dirty blond hair was pulled into a standard updo for special occasions. It fell in perfect ringlets down the back of her head. Mal felt like he remembered her from somewhere. But why? Quietly, she stepped forward and curtsied, letting her hand rest out in front of her for the Captain to take. He'd been around Inara long enough to know what to do. He pressed his lips to the soft skin of her pale hand.

"Captain Reynolds, it is an utter pleasure and high honor to finally meet you in person. I've read all about your brilliant leadership skills in the Battle of Serenity Valley. You are a legend here." From the way she talked you'd think she was in her 30's, Mal thought.

"Why thank you… Miss Jones."

"Please, call me Alexis." She said with a winning smile.

"Of course, Alexis." Mal replied politely, he had noticed she didn't bring up that he was on the losing side of that battle. And she was training to go into the Alliance? He'd have to dig deeper in this case. Alexis offered her hand to Zoe to shake.

"Alexis Jones," She introduced herself to Zoe. If Mal didn't know any better he'd think Alexis was bursting with excitement while speaking to her. "You must be Zoe Alleyne? I must say it is a real treat to finally meet you. Sometime you must tell me what it was like to be a woman fighting for her freedom." Zoe couldn't help but smile. Mal got the feeling she liked this girl. But Mal didn't. Something about her bugged him.

"Actually, my name is Zoe Washburne."

"Oh, my mistake. I have to say my record books are probably outdated by now." She then turned to Jayne, who was watching a few girls who were staring at him and giggling. "And you are?" She held out a hand for a handshake to him, Mal was impressed. She could see that Jayne was no gentleman.

"Cobb, Jayne Cobb." He said gruffly, shaking her hand.

"A pleasure." She said cordially. "Many of my fellow school mates will be jealous with me. I've shaken the hand of the mysterious man." Her eyes danced with a sly cunning. Jayne simply smiled to Mal and Zoe.

"Captain, I suppose you have heard of my proposal?" She was back to business.

"Yes, I have."

"And?"

"I have a few questions."

"I am at your disposal."

"How long you gonna be with us?"

"I am required 6 months minimum." She answered straightly. Good, she was sticking to the story Mrs. Smith told.

"And how are you going to pay for all this?" She laughed melodiously.

"Captain, I'm not without my assets. I will pay you in full up front if you wish." Zoe was sold.

"Then it sounds like we have ourselves a passenger." Zoe's smile was warm and bright. Mal didn't agree in the least.

"Uh, would you 'scuse us a moment?" Mal took both Zoe and Jayne aside. "I did not say she could come."

"Sir, she's a paying customer." Said Zoe.

"Well I don't care she's paying, I don't want to be babysitter fer six months!" Mal argued.

"She ain't got nuthin' wrong with'er. And six month's pay up front?" Jayne's argument was true. It was a rare occasion he made a good point. Just then there was a small clearing of a throat. They all turned around.

"Sir, if you wish for a reason to trust me, I have none. I'm not going to prove anything to you. If you'd like my business, take it. Otherwise I can go somewhere else." Mal could see both Zoe's and Jayne's burning stares.

"Alright, we're docked in the north hangar of the port in San Marino. Be there tomorrow before 8." Mal hated having to give in.

"Expect me at 7, Captain." She curtsied low. "Now, if you'll forgive me. I must enjoy the last night of my schooling here. Miss Washburne, Mr. Cobb… Captain." With each name she nodded to each one. Then she caught up to a group of people and began chatting. Mal took that as the cue to leave. Only Zoe had the decency to thank Mrs. Smith.

"We appreciate your time." Zoe told the sharp woman.

"No, thank _you_. Alexis has been waiting a long time for this." Mal led the way out.

The morning dawned cool and crisp. The wet mists were clinging to the windows of _Serenity_. Mal woke up and groggily made his way to his ladder, pulling on his suspenders.

"Simon?" He called out, running his fingers through his hair.

"Captain?" Simon called back from the cockpit. He was always up early, doctor's habit.

"Let's get this baby airborne."

"Sure thing," But he didn't move. Mal walked up to the cockpit himself.

"Isn't there supposed to be some movement going on?" Simon turned around. He looked to Mal then cocked his head, confused.

"You mean now?" He asked. Mal looked around.

"Well, I don't see anythin' to say why not." Simon leaned forward.

"Captain, aren't you forgetting something? Perhaps the reason we landed in the first place?" Mal's face screwed up in concentration, and then it dawned on him.

"Oh yeah, ok. Scratch that. We wait until all passengers have boarded." Simon nodded and went back to messing with the controls. Mal didn't know if he was ready to take on a teenage passenger for six months. As he walked back to the cargo bay he contemplated what she'd be doing. She'd probably be following everyone around, asking obnoxious questions, looking sweetly to everybody to get her own way. Mal squirmed at the thought.

"Does something bother you, Malcolm Reynolds?" A small voice said from behind. Mal whipped around and trained his gun on the skeletal feminine figure. River Tam, resident genius, simply stared at the gun. She'd been doing very well at keeping her creepiness in check, but she still had the sneaking and inhuman qualities.

"No, why would you think that?" Mal said, holstering his gun. She looked at him inquisitively.

"According to normal human nervous systems when under stress or extreme emotion a human exhibits uncharacteristic movements as well as change in speech in relation to the brain signals. You just exhibited such behavior. Not to mention your body temperature is 3.4 degrees higher than normal." Mal took a deep breath. A genius, yes, but on a whole new level.

"We're waiting for a passenger and I am anxious to get under way." He explained. River accepted this and turned to run down the hallway.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were warming up to River, Captain." A soft, melodious voice said from above. Mal rolled his ocean blue eyes then turned them to see the goddess like figure. Inara, the Companion, was descending the stairs from her shuttle. She wore a beautiful forest green gown with a sheer wrap. It made her look like a woodland fairy.

"Nah, just gettin' sick of it." Mal said, approaching her. Inara chuckled.

"Mal, when are you going to swallow your pride enough to admit to being a softie?" She flashed her dazzling smile.

"Pride? If I remember correctly I was once called the most humble man in the 'Verse."

"Yes, by the village idiot who believed you to be returning stolen seeds when actually you were switching them out for protein packs, I do recall." Said Inara, flatly.

"Well… I mean, when you put it that way, but we still brought them food, didn't we?"

"After you knew you'd make profit out of depriving them fresh nutrition?" Inara said a little loudly.

"Hey, we were running on fumes with not enough money to buy gas, let alone our own food." Mal stepped closer and frowned.

"Why couldn't you, I don't know, take up a legitimate job and actually work for your pay?" Inara snarled.

"Are you saying what we are doing is not work?" Mal raised his voice.

"Possibly," Inara spat.

"You're one to talk! You're the prostitute!" Mal bellowed. Their heated argument continued so loudly then didn't even notice the door opening and admitting a small group.

"You're on my ship, honey. I could push you out the airlock anytime I pleased." Mal yelled.

"I'd expect that from you, you son of a -,"

"Hey!" A different voice entered the argument.

"What?" Both Inara and Mal shouted.

"If you'd like, you can carry on this little conversation after I've been checked in and we're off. For now can we please attend to the matter of passengers?" Alexis stood there, her voice stern, looking resolute. Mal looked at the ground for a moment. Mrs. Smith, Alexis, and a butler were standing in the cargo bay silently.

"Seion, darling, are you absolutely sure you want to travel with this man?" Mrs. Smith asked, her face worried. Alexis threw a look of _look at what I have to put up with now because of you_ to Mal. Mal walked to the intercom.

"Jayne, Kaylee, Cargo Bay, now."

Alexis turned around to Mrs. Smith, her face smiling and happy.

"I am quite sure, Headmistress. It's adorable of you to worry so, but I shan't need your assistance much longer." Mrs. Smith held her arms out to Alexis. They embraced then kissed both cheeks.

"Be safe, and use good judgment." Mrs. Smith said as she waved from the doorway. Jayne hurried in.

"Somethin' wrong?" Then he saw the girl standing there and sighed. He was hoping for a fight.

"Goodbye, Mrs. Smith. I shall send you a wave in a month or so." Alexis still had that sweet angelic look on her face. The butler left the bags on the floor of the cargo bay and followed Mrs. Smith. The door closed slowly as Alexis waved goodbye.

The hissing of the airlock and _clunk_ of the security lock signaled they were gone. Immediately, Alexis groaned.

"Finally, I've been trying to get that woman off my back for months!" She didn't look like the innocent, sweet faced, debutante. Suddenly she was a normal teen. She pulled a few clips from her hair and shook out the strawberry blond waves. Kaylee walked in.

"Sorry, Cap'n. Engine's runnin' a little sluggish." Kaylee saw Alexis and stared.

"Kaylee, Alexis, Alexis, Kaylee." Alexis walked up and shook Kaylee's hand.

"Hi," Alexis said, pumping Kaylee's fist. "Are you… the … mechanic?" Alexis looked over Kaylee's coveralls and guessed.

"Yes, I am, indeed." Kaylee beamed.

"Do you think sometime you could show me how the Serenity's fabled engine works? I've heard it's been heavily modified to out run anything." Kaylee continued to smile.

"Why, yes, I'd love to show you around." Kaylee looked happy to be making a new friend. Mal cleared his throat though.

"We need to move these bags to Cabin 3, next to River." Jayne raised his eyebrows at the statement.

"Are ya sure River'll like that?" He said slowly. It was Mal's turn to give a slow, meaningful look.

"She'd better." Alexis picked up a few of her bags, leaving two left for Kaylee, and none for Jayne. Jayne tried to take them from her, but Alexis moved away.

"I think I can carry this myself. But thank you for the gesture." Jayne only shrugged and headed for his ammunitions closet. It was gun cleaning day.

Mal made his way back to the intercom.

"Simon, take us out."

"Launch sequence commencing." Simon replied. Mal missed Wash's witty comebacks and one-liners coming back through the speakers. But he was sure he wasn't in as much pain as his first mate Zoe. Mal shook his head and walked up to the cockpit.

"Hey Simon,"

"Captain,"

"I'll take it for a little while. You go rest."

"Are you sure, sir?"

"Positive, go." Simon left the chair and Mal relaxed into the vacated spot. Whenever he needed to think he liked to fly.

Jayne had laid all his guns out on the kitchen table and was inspecting Vera, his favorite gun. There was a knock on the wall behind him. He turned to see Alexis standing there, a small bag in her hand.

"Can I come in?" Jayne grunted an affirmative and she descended the stairs. Her white, ruffled school uniform swished as she entered. At the door she dropped the bag, probably wasn't finished unpacking. She saw all the guns on the table.

"Wow, you have quite the collection." She said, impressed.

"Thanks." Maybe this girl wasn't so bad after all.

"Which one is the easiest handgun to use?" She asked. The question was pure curiosity, as far as Jayne could tell. So he picked up one of the guns.

"This one is called a revolver. It-,"

"Grant 1500, shot radius 40 feet, also can be retrofitted easily." She said as she took the gun from Jayne's hand. The pale, delicate fingers curled strongly around the gun and she pointed it at the wall, pretending to aim. Jayne's eyes grew wide. This girl knew her guns.

For the next 10 minutes or so they talked over each of his guns. She was book smart about them, but not street smart. Jayne had a burning question though.

"If you was in that prep school, where've you learned your guns?" She picked up a gun idly and twirled it around her finger expertly.

"On my ambassador training, I stationed myself in the armory for a month. It was an Alliance ship though, not as many fun weapons as these. I only saw pictures of these ones."

"Well, yer right about one thing. These are the funnest toys around." Alexis laughed her musical laugh.

"Thank you for showing these to me, Mr. Cobb." She reached up on her tippy toes and kissed him on the cheek. Jayne's cheeks went fire red.

Suddenly he felt a sharp pain in the back of his neck. Everything around him became fuzzy. He looked to Alexis who was smiling adorably.

"Yes, thank you very much." Her smile turned horribly twisted. Jayne wanted to pull his gun but found he couldn't. He slumped to the ground, unconscious before he hit the floor.

Alexis took the syringe from his neck and put it in the kitchen incinerator. Quietly, she peeled off her frilly dress to reveal a blood red top and tight black combat pants. She pulled some boots out of the bag at the door and pulled her hair up into a pony tail. Strapping two holsters to her thighs she grabbed two of Jayne's guns and stuffed them in. With a disgusted look, she folded up her dress and shoved it into the bag.

Stealthily, Alexis walked up to the nearest computer port and punched in a few codes. Every _lock_ sign flickered to a bright red, and all the other doors locked themselves too. Only Alexis knew how to open them again. She headed for the cockpit.

Mal watched the stars float by. They all seemed so tranquil. Even _Serenity_ was quiet. Mal leaned his head back and closed his eyes. He knew he could never fall asleep, but it would help him feel better. Right by his ear he heard a fast _click_. Sitting up, he felt the cold metal of the business end of a gun pressed to his temple.


	2. Chapter 2

Mal watched the stars float by. They all seemed so tranquil. Even _Serenity_ was quiet. Mal leaned his head back and closed his eyes. He knew he could never fall asleep, but it would help him feel better. Right by his ear he heard a fast _click_. Sitting up, he felt the cold metal of the business end of a gun pressed to his temple.

"Oh, I wouldn't move if I were you, Captain. You see, you are –as you say- under attack." Mal felt rage flare up inside him. He knew he shouldn't have trusted her. Slowly, he raised his hands. He heard a small snicker from the girl.

"Are you trying to make yourself look stupid, or does that just happen naturally?"

"What do you want? The ship? The money?" Mal hit the auto pilot button and little by little turned to face his assassin. She let out a merciless laugh, nothing like the one Mal had heard before.

"You think me superficial, don't you Captain Reynolds?" He took in her outfit. It was nothing like what she'd worn before. The complete opposite, actually.

"Enlighten me," He replied to her, trying to stall her to see if he could signal someone.

"I'm here for one thing and one thing only. It's something that should have been done by another but they didn't have the chance. I want your life."

Jayne woke up rubbing his head. Whatever that girl had done she was going to get it! He stood up and headed for the door, only to find it locked. He groaned. There had to be some way out of this. Where was Zoe when he needed her?

Zoe sat in her room, dressing after a shower. The intercom beeped. She walked casually over and answered it.

"What?"

"Zoe? Can ya come to the kitchen? I've been locked in by the new girl." Zoe rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, I'll be right there."

"Watch it, she spiked me with somethin', don't know what it was but it was nasty." Zoe was confused.

"Spiked you?"

"Yeah, like the Doc always does." Zoe's eyes widened. The girl had drugs on her. She pulled her hair back and strapped on her gun.

"Be right there, Jayne."

"Be much obliged." He ended the intercom conversation. Zoe climbed the ladder and attempted to open it, but it didn't move. She pushed, and kicked but nothing worked. Hurriedly, she ran to the intercom again.

"Jayne?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm locked in too." On the other side Zoe heard Jayne swearing profusely in Chinese.

"You work on hailing the rest of the crew. I'll try and come up with a plan." Zoe began to pace as she thought.

After a few minutes there was a creaking of metal. Zoe pulled out her gun and aimed it at the ladder. Two bare feet descended, leading to a flowing blue skirt, black shirt, and pale face.

"River, how did you get in here?" Zoe didn't let River say anything.

"I used my brain." She smiled. "We don't have a lot of time. The captain is in trouble." River said plainly.

"Yes, but I think everyone else is locked in as well." Zoe said.

"Do you have a plan?" River asked, taking slow deliberate steps.

"N- wait… I think so." Zoe looked and River and her mind started swirling.

"Why do you want me?" Mal asked.

"It's complicated. Besides, you don't want to be burdened with that in the after life, do you?"

"Well I think I deserve to know why I am dying." Mal said defiantly, very much aware of the shining sliver gun point on his head.

"Fine, if that's the way you want it. I-," She broke off and looked to the hallway. In a flash she'd drawn her second gun and aimed it at the person.

"River?" Mal asked. River was silent as she ascended into the cockpit.

"Take one more step and you're dead, River Tam." Alexis threatened.

"You're after her too?" Mal asked.

"Not in particular but I will be quite the hero when I go back to the Alliance telling them how I shot Malcolm Reynolds, the famous pirate, and caught River Tam, the most wanted fugitive in the 'Verse, all in one day."

"So you work for the Alliance?"

"Not yet. I've trained under them. They will, however, accept me as a senior member after I present them with these new credentials." River began to walk slowly to the other side of the cockpit.

"I told you not to move!" She stiffened her aim on River.

"How would they kill me?" River asked quietly. She curled up on the co-pilot's chair. Alexis was taken aback but retained her cool.

"Never kill you. You are the brightest hope for the Alliance. They want your expertise." Alexis explained, as if River had never heard it before.

"They want my brain." She said with feeling. Alexis took a step towards River, keeping one gun trained on Mal, the other on River, her back to the door and her front to the ship controls.

"Now, you can't really believe that. It's these pirates, they are telling you lies ab-," A white cloth and dark hands covered her mouth. Alexis struggled for a second, got her bearings, and then executed a well placed kick over her shoulder into the face of her assailant. Zoe doubled forward, clutching the side of her face. Alexis began to run down the hallway with Mal in hot pursuit. Mal began to think he'd never catch her, but she slowed down and dropped to the ground. Mal stood over her, loathing the very sight of her. How could he have been so stupid?

"Everything all right, sir?" Zoe asked. A gash had opened up on her cheek but nothing the Doc couldn't fix in a second.

"Yeah. Thanks, I owe you one." Zoe smiled.

"I had a little help." She turned and Mal followed her gaze to see River curled up now in the pilot's seat, gazing at the stars above.

Mal and Zoe arrived at the kitchen with River who flawlessly overrode the access denied block.

"If she can do that I'd better find something new to keep my guns in." Mal murmured to Zoe as they stepped through. Jayne was at the stove messing with what looked like random kitchen utensils.

"Jayne?" Mal asked. "You wanna explain to me what this is?" Zoe cracked up.

"Isn't it obvious, sir?" Mal didn't answer. "He's trying to make a blow torch." Mal looked and sure enough there was a propane tank from the kitchen stove being hooked up to a number of contraptions.

"I wasn't hearin' from any o' you. Had to take matters into my own hands." Jayne defended. He put down his project. "I take it you caught the little bugger?"

"Yeah, unconscious."

"Good, serves her right." Jayne humphed.

"I'll need some help securing her. Let's get her to the infirmary and strap her down." Mal was already walking back to get the girl. He hefted her up over his shoulder. She was surprisingly light, to Mal's pleasure. He was making his way down the stairs when Kaylee appeared.

"Cap'n I… what happened? What's going on? What did you do to her?" Kaylee's eyes were wide.

"What did I do to her? You should be asking what she could do to me. It seems we have a little traitor aboard." Kaylee lifted her brow.

"Her?" She thought Mal was just blaming again.

"Yes her. Ask Jayne, he'll tell you she drugged him." Kaylee's jaw dropped. Mal began walking again to the infirmary.

"Wait, wha-,"

"She also locked everyone in for a few minutes, ask River."

"River? But Cap'n-,"

"She held a gun to me." Mal said curtly as he entered the infirmary. "Go get the Doc up, should be in his room." Kaylee nodded slowly and did what she was told. Mal turned and laid Alexis's limp body on the table. Her face looked like any other sixteen year old's face: sweet, young, innocent. Mal could almost believe it was someone entirely different who had threatened him and his ship. Then he took one look at her attire and was enraged again because she was dressed as the assailant he'd just witnessed.

Jayne entered with a roll of the tow cable from the cargo bay.

"This should hold her nice n' tight." He said, unwinding it. Zoe entered behind, dutifully reporting to her captain.

"Once we tie her down, what are we going to do to her, sir?" She asked, respectfully. Mal rolled up his sleeves a bit and helped Jayne secure the prisoner to the table by her hands, legs, and waist.

"I was thinking along the lines of interrogation." Jayne's eyes lit up.

"Can I do it?"

"Not torture, not yet. She's Alliance so she may resist us at first. It gets to that point, I'll let you take over." Mal told him. Jayne looked a lot happier as he tied and secured the cable to the chair stand.

"Hey Mal, what happ'ns if she wakes up like this before we want her to?"

"She won't wake." A soft mysterious voice mused. River stood in the doorway.

"Wha'dya mean?" Jayne asked.

"She won't come until called for." Just then Simon walked up behind her, rolling up his sleeves. Kaylee was right behind him.

"River's right. The stuff Zoe used will keep her out as long as we like. We have to bring her back with something else." He rummaged through his drawers and dug out a fresh syringe. Silently, he turned to a cabinet and scanned the names of the different liquids, finally selecting one and filling the syringe. He cleaned the space on her arm and held the needle above it.

"Mind you, she will wake up heavily sedated, but that will only last about a minute. She'll regain full strength by then."

"Which is why we've tied her down,"

"Yes, ready?" Mal nodded.

"Bring her back, Doc." Shepard Book entered behind, followed closely by Inara. His gray hair was pulled back into a small black cord. He wore is usual preacher garb. Inara had just dressed in her night gown.

"What in the name of Sam Hill is going on here?" Kaylee leaned over to Shepard.

"The girl held a gun to Mal and drugged Jayne." Shepard nodded.

"Ah, I see." It was becoming a common occurrence for traitors to come on board

Everyone watched eagerly as Simon pulled the needle out and trashed it in the incinerator. The girl moaned softly and tried to move, but found she was bound to something. Slowly her tropical eyes opened and attempted to focus, taking longer than usual. The first stationary image she saw was Mal.

"You?" It was a question, not a vengeful statement. She took a deep breath. "What? You haven't killed me yet? Isn't that standard? Throw someone out the airlock when they piss you off?" Mal was slightly embarrassed, remembering his argument with Inara.

"Well after that little stunt you played I considered it. But we need some answers before we give you the boot." The girl smiled malevolently.

"Why don't you just do it now? Or are you not man enough?" Mal was tired of the games. He leaned in very closely.

"You're in no position to be asking for death now. Either you tell us what we need to know or I'll go get that frilly white number and force you to parade yourself around in that thing." Her eyes, still blurry and groggy, showed a hint of fear.

"Let's suspend reality for a minute, what would you ask me first?" Mal had a thousand questions and couldn't narrow it down to one.

"Who are you?" Zoe asked for him. The girl smiled and closed her eyes.

"They told, I told you. Seion Alexius Jones." Mal couldn't tell whether or not she was lying but moved on anyway.

"How did you know all about Serenity?"

"Man, you really are deaf aren't you? I told you I trained on an Alliance ambassador's ship. We ran into some old brown coats like yourselves. I did my research. With the Alliance databases at my disposal I found and created profiles on every one of you." Her smirk made Mal even angrier. But there was something different about her tone. Mal saw she was lying now.

"You didn't run into the brown coats did you? You knew about Serenity before that. So why did you come looking for her?" The girl made a noise like _phfft._

"You think I was looking for your piece of crap boat? Did you not hear what I was telling you? I came after you." Zoe looked to Mal, he hadn't told anyone yet.

"Why me? What did I ever do to you?" Real anger clouded the jovial face of the girl, turning it dark and surly.

"You left my mother alone and to ruin. She was once respectable and highly thought of until you came and brought shame to her name." Mal was confused.

"What _is_ your mother's name anyway?" Alexis's eyes flashed. She was regaining her strength.

"Isis Jaxine Jones. Her closest friends called her 'Xiu'." Mal's heart stopped. Memories began to flash back to him.

"Cap'n, who's Xiu?" Kaylee asked. Mal didn't want to explain, he didn't have to explain. But the crew deserved to know.

"At the beginning of the war I eloped with Isis but enemies began to target her. So I faked my death to her so she could go on with her life."

"I remember that." Zoe spoke up. "You told us that you'd just broken off an engagement to join the party. I didn't think you were actually serious."

"Well… I had to part with her to keep her safe. But wait a minute. How did you get to that school then?"

"Like they told you. One of the teachers took me in when I was five. I had to watch my mother die, Captain." She spat the word. "I had to see the regret in her eyes as she faded. Do you know what she regretted? Never coming to find you. She felt guilty for so long and it led to her death!" Alexis was now fighting against her restraints. "She should have known there was better for her, but she only believed she wasn't good enough because you left her, broken and alone!" She shouted. "I was alone because of you!" Mal's head was spinning.

"But you must have had a father around?" He asked.

"He was never there." She hissed. "He was always gallivanting off on his own."

"Who is your father?" Mal asked. Her eyes burned in hatred.

"Malcolm Reynolds." The way she said it had so much venom, it was almost poisonous to hear. One could have heard a pin drop in that room. Everyone was in such a state of shock.

"I beg your pardon?" Inara nearly gasped.

"I am the daughter of Isis Jones and Malcolm Reynolds, as much as it pains me to say."

"You have no proof!" Mal shot out. Alexis's eyes glowed maliciously.

"Oh yeah?" She struggled against the cable around her.

"You ain't goin' anywhere, sweetheart." Jayne said smugly. Alexis shot him a look.

"I wasn't trying to escape, you moron."

"Don't you take that tone with any of my crew, ya hear?" Mal put his hands on the table and let his stare bore through her. "As a matter o' interest, what are ya trying to do?"

"Show you my proof." She brought her head up to Mal's in hatred. Simon could see Mal was on the verge of losing his self control. Wanting to smooth the matter over he interjected.

"Why don't you tell us where it is and we will retrieve it for you? Is it in one of your pockets?" Simon was met with a scornful look and chuckle of pity.

"You want to retrieve it? Go ahead. But you'd be besmirching a young girl's honor." Everyone could feel the awkwardness build in the room. Kaylee turned bright pink. Simon looked to Mal, who nodded, and then proceeded to undo her belt.

"Not there, you idiot!" Alexis yelled ferociously. Simon backed off instantly. Zoe smiled confidently.

"I've got this, Doc." With a smooth stroke Zoe reached down the side of Alexis's shirt and pulled out a faded, folded letter. Jayne, Simon, and Mal all exchanged embarrassed glances. Zoe handed the letter over. Mal looked at the worn condition of the letter then to Alexis. She'd lost some of her nonchalance and cockiness now that her secret was to be revealed. The nervous look in her eyes made her almost human to Mal.

"It was to be given to me on my 13th birthday from my mother. But I found it amongst my belongings when they shipped me off to that plastic bag they call an academy. I read it when I was six for the first time. Made me hate you from the beginning. Then I found out you were still alive and began huntin'." Her refined way of talking made the sentence out of character, but Mal wasn't worried about that. He opened up the letter and read

Dearest Seion,

I have always hoped the best for you. You are my shining star, my heaven sent gift. I love you with all my heart. Now with this affliction I fear I will not live to see you blossom into a young lady filled with poise, grace, and elegance. In light of that fear there is some vital information you must have. For years now I've avoided your questions in regard to your father. I can not deny you any longer. His name is Malcolm Reynolds. Your father and I were madly in love, but he was a lowly rancher's son and I in line for a title. So we ran off together. I was young and in love. But then that dreaded war began and he being the hero he was had to go fight with the Rebels, though I told him it was safer with Unification. I saw less and less of him, until one day he never came back. I found out from his superior that he'd been killed. He left me a broken hearted soldier's widow, with child and disowned. For many years now I've gone over what I could have done? What I did wrong, to push him away like that. I shall never know now. You look so much like him, Seion, if only you could see. I love you my darling, more than I have any man. My last words are wisdom to be used. Be safe, learn much, trust no one, and prepare yourself for anything. If you're reading this, I'm no longer there for you. But know this, my darling: I am now living in a place where I can once again be with my beloved husband and watch over you. I'll be at your side, in the wind, on your tears, in your words. You are never alone, my precious little one, never.

With heartfelt affection and love,

Your adoring mother.

So that was it? This girl was taking out her anger and frustration on him. It couldn't be true. She couldn't be her mother. The note could be faked. Mal's head spun as he tried to deny all the evidence. Alexis's eyes bored through Mal maliciously.

"The truth hurts, doesn't it? She believed for so long it was all her fault. She died believing that. And now she'll never see that there could have been so much more for her." The pain and anguish in her words told of the heartache she'd been harboring for so long. As Mal stared at Alexis and she held his gaze defiantly. Suddenly he remembered where he'd seen her eyes before.

They were his.

"Jayne, we're going to move her into her cabin. Someone'll have to stand guard at all times. I don't want this girl in contact with anything that could be lethal." He paused to see how she'd take it. Alexis only smirked.

"Why Captain, it would appear as if you do not trust me."

"No one is to let her out for any reason. Food transfers will be the only time the door opens. I am not going to risk you going haywire again on me and my crew." He directed the last part to Alexis. With a careless air she shrugged.

"I don't want your crew dead. If you want to, you can let me go and I'll walk by myself to my cell."

"Don't get sassy," Mal warned heatedly. Alexis pursed her lips and glared. "Kaylee, I want you to search her things to make sure there's nothin' there. Simon, get back up to the cockpit and tell me how long until we get into non-Alliance space. Zoe, you come help Jayne." Zoe nodded and headed over to the table. Kaylee was already making her way to the cabin with Simon by her side. Mal remembered when the two got married. He did it on _Serenity, _since he was a captain he technically had the authority. Nothing fancy, Kaylee didn't even have a dress to wear. But it was enough for them. Life on the run suited them. Kaylee had been doing it for years now and Simon adapted well, but he could still fit in at a societal event. They'd had their share of fights, but so did Zoe and Wash.

Jayne began to untie the girl's bonds. When her right hand was free she pulled it to her chest and sighed in relief.

"Finally, I've been losing the feeling in my fingers."

"We wouldn't want to see those pretty li'l things fallin' off. Or maybe we do." Jayne said sardonically. Alexis glared at him as she rubbed her hands. "We just don't want that li'l finger o' yours pulling such a big trigger on us." Zoe finished unwinding the cable from her feet. Jayne wrapped his hand around Alexis's small arm and began to hoist her up.

"Get your meathooks off of me!" She ripped his hand from her arm. Jayne already had his gun trained on her. She didn't seem to notice though. She sighed as if she were only enduring a slight inconvenience. With a look over her attire she straightened out her top, fixed her hair, and then set off through the door slowly. Jayne followed behind with the gun still pointed to her back. Alexis stopped in the doorway and turned to look back at Mal. Her eyes were swirling clouds of blue with sparks flying.

"I think I shall retire to my bed, Captain." She turned curtly on her heel and proceeded to her cabin. Mal watched her leave, contempt and confusion all beginning to boil beneath his skin.

Mal stepped into the cockpit. Simon sat at the dashboard fiddling with the controls.

"Ah Captain,"

"How long? I want this girl off my boat." Mal was impatient. He leaned his head against the wall.

"Well… uh… you see we… um,"

"Spit it out, boy!" Mal barked.

"Our course was set for the core planets. In order to find Rebel friendlies we'd have to shut down and reset the coordinates. Or you could just wait and we'll drop her off in Alliance territory?" Mal didn't like the options. Either way he could see he was stuck with her for at least another week.

"Fine, keep present course." Mal muttered.

"Will do." Simon replied loyally. Mal stumbled down the hallway to his room. Sleep. That's all he needed was a little sleep. Or maybe he'd had too much? Perhaps this was all some freak nightmare that his head had conjured up when the girl came on and he didn't trust her. Mal laid down, hoping it was all a dream, wishing everything was normal.

_Thunk, thunk, thunk_! The dull pounding noise continued on the yellowing window. Jayne sat beside the door, gun by his side, strips of beef jerky in his hands. He had a strip in his mouth already, sucking the meaty flavor and savoring in its saltiness. The thudding noise continued, but Jayne ignored it. With a grunt, he lifted his boots up and rested them on the railing opposite him. One would think he was relaxing, not guarding a prisoner. Around the corner, Inara appeared. Her blood red lips were frowning exasperatedly. The dark ringlets that framed her face added to her dark mood and obvious aggravation. With her came the heavy smells of her shuttle's incense; the jasmine breeze she brought with her pulled through Jayne's whiskers into his nose. He wrinkled his nose in disgust.

"Whoa, 'Nara. You spray a fresh coat of that stinkem?" Jayne asked. She only glared.

"Will you please ask your little friend to stop? I am trying to conduct a sacred ritual and it is being continually interrupted by this incessant banging!" Inara said.

"What kind o' ritual?" Jayne asked, carnivorously ripping another piece of his beefy jerky with his pearly white teeth.

"Nothing that concerns you. Well?"

"Well what?" he asked. Inara threw her head back in frustration.

"Tell her to stop!"

"Won't make a difference."

"Have you tried?"

"No,"

"Well then?" Inara waited, arms akimbo. Jayne turned his head toward the door slowly.

"Hey! Stop," The loud, rhythmic thuds still continued. "See? Doesn't make a difference."

"Arrggh!" Inara growled, infuriated. In a huff, she stormed back to her shuttle. Jayne sat and chewed his jerky. But now that Inara had drawn his attention to it, the sound was really irritating. He rolled his eyes and stood up. The tromping sound of his boots was offbeat to the previous banging.

"Hey, ya know yer annoyin' the crew." He said to the door. For a moment the only sound was the _thunk, thunk_. Then it paused for a moment.

"I know." A muffled voice said from behind the door. Immediately the pounding continued. Jayne sat back down and ripped off another piece of jerky.

"Ain't you gonna get brain damage, or sum'in?" Jayne looked back at the door. The lights fell on it just right through the yellow plastic he could see the faint silhouette of the girl sitting on the ground with her back to the door and her head banging against it.

"Possibly," She answered back, her thumps uninterrupted. "But you wouldn't care about that, now would you?" Jayne shrugged, even though he knew she couldn't see him.

"Nah, I do care. I can only handle one mental person on here at a time. It ain't yer turn to go crazy. Plus I wouldn't want someone as sassy as you gettin' any deranged ideas." The beating continued.

Kaylee walked down the hallway, hefting a large trunk. Her soft brown hair fell into her eyes as she set down the trunk across from the room.

"There. Last one." She stood up and tucked her hair behind her ears. A small smudge occupied her left cheek while a rosy blossom of color occupied the other. She had already tried to make the hammering stop and had given up at the second trunk. "That's a beast of a thing. Chemical scanners check out negative. Alls that's left to do is go through it by hand." Kneeling down she undid the locks and slowly lifted the lid. From inside wafted a wonderfully sugary sweet candy scented air. Kaylee gasped as she looked inside. Gingerly, she lifted the first dress from the trunk. The soft powder blue fabric swayed gently. Kaylee couldn't help herself. Standing up, she held the dress to herself, twirling and giggling as it caught the air and fanned out.

"Oh, it's beautiful." She breathed. All too soon she put it down to inspect further. A green dress this time. As she pulled it out something heavy and metal clanked to the floor. This got Jayne's attention. Kaylee bent down and picked up the object. It was a gleaming gun, sinister even in the bright lights of the cabin area.

"Jayne?" She asked. He was already at her side, staring at the gun hungrily.

"SharpShooter V-10, .55 caliber, Alliance made, been meaning to steal me one of these for some time now." Kaylee looked at the gun, then to Jayne, then back at the gun. With a smile she handed it over to him. He looked surprised.

"Cap'n said we had to confiscate anythin' dangerous. I'll let you confiscate this." Jayne took the gun happily and cradled it in his hands. He sat back down as Kaylee continued to dig through the trunk. The distorted reflection of himself in the gun's barrel showed Jayne his ecstatic smile. Slowly and deliberately Jayne let his thumb rest on the hammer and then pulled it back. The thudding slowed until it stopped.

"You have my gun." Alexis's voice said faintly. Jayne didn't even look up.

"Yep, how'd you come by it, Sassy?"

"Bought it with my own money from an anonymous dealer." Alexis said proudly. "It's my favorite gun. I call him Sheng. He's been with me forever it seems." Jayne could almost detect misery in her voice from being parted with her precious gun.

"Sheng… victory. I like it."

"Glad to hear it," Alexis said sarcastically as she began hitting her head against the door again.

"Ya know, I don't get you."

"Get in line." Alexis replied.

"How come a girl like you does all this? I watched you at yer dance… thing. You were pretty good at foolin' us into thinkin' you was some debutante."

"I always am the best at everything I do. I may not like it but I will become the best." She said coldly.

"Ah, I see. You sure looked like you were havin' fun dancin'." The thudding slowed.

"I do enjoy dancing." Jayne looked to Kaylee who looked up and over when she noticed the pounding had stopped. Jayne lifted an eyebrow and glanced back at the door.

"What else did ya like?"

"Fencing, but the girls weren't allowed to join the club. We could learn, but not compete. I pretended to be a boy for a few competitions and won those."

"So why the act? Didn't you like yer school?" Jayne started on a new piece of jerky. Alexis made a disgusted noise.

"No, they were always telling me how to be a proper lady. That's a load of _feihua_, in my opinion. I went with it for so long. When I went out for Ambassador training I figured out women could do all sorts of things. That school was just a wet blanket on me." Alexis suddenly remembered she was trying to be the hard edged villain who didn't crack. "No more questions." Jayne saw her shadow get up and move away from the door. This girl acted so curiously. She seemed to turn on a dime. But there was a part of her that didn't want to.

Jayne continued his post, fingering his new acquisition and watching Kaylee go through the rest of the last trunk. Jayne noticed Kaylee's eyes were growing dimmer though, her skin turned a slightly green color. She didn't move as quickly or talk as much. Finally when she shut the lid to the trunk she held her stomach and ran down the hallway. She nearly knocked Zoe down who was coming to take over for Jayne.

"What's her problem?" Zoe asked when she got to Jayne.

"Dunno, she was lookin' mighty sick though. Every time I looked up she was a new shade o' green."

"Hope she doesn't have another virus. The one you got a while back took us weeks to recover from." Jayne shivered at the memory of the event. They'd had to do business on a scummy planet and Jayne contracted a mutated flu virus. It wasn't too horrible, but it gave the host a nasty vomiting streak and awful case of diarrhea. It spread when its symptoms were mild but got worse as it went on. The whole crew had been infected.

"Yeah, hope not." Jayne said as he got up and relinquished his position to Zoe.

"How's she doing?" She asked.

"Got her to talk. Strange girl, real full o' sass. Pain in the rear though. Until a few minutes ago she was bangin' her head for a good half an hour. That chick is irritating." Zoe smiled.

"So you like her?" Zoe smiled. Jayne rolled his eyes.

"Yeah," He muttered as he walked off.

Kaylee ran to the nearest toilet and dumped the contents of her stomach. As she rinsed out her mouth she looked into the mirror. Her pale complexion and tired eyes stared back at her, but so did another pair. She turned around to see Simon standing behind her.

"Are you all right?" He asked worriedly.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little under the weather." Simon held his hand to her head.

"You're a little warm. Why don't you come to the Infirmary?" Simon put his arm around her.

"Simon, I'm fine. Anyways I have to go finish working on the engine. The Cap'n will get after me if I don't have it in top condition."

"Are you sure? You could be-,"

"Simon, as much as I like you fussin' over me I'm fine, really." Kaylee leaned over and kissed his cheek. Wrapping his arms around her, he squeezed her tightly. He kissed her on the lips gently and then let her go. She smiled her little Kaylee smile and went back to her duties. Simon loved her, she knew that. That's what made her feel so great the rest of the day.

Mal hesitated outside the door to the girl's cabin. He didn't know if he was ready for this confrontation. He'd dismissed Zoe from her post so she could go sleep, also so she wouldn't hear. Mal was still confused on so many levels. But he needed answers, and as much as his pride hurt he'd have to ask _her_. He rapped at the door then opened it. Alexis lay on her neatly made bed staring up at the ceiling with her arms lying across her chest. Four trunks cluttered the small cabin.

"Uh… Do you mind if we have a chat?" He asked. Alexis continued to stare at the ceiling.

"I am unwilling to comply with your request." Mal sighed and took his pick of trunks to sit on.

"I'll take that as a yes." Mal made himself comfortable before he continued. "Now I ain't here to apologize, so don't get yer hopes up."

"I'd be appalled if you did, Captain." Alexis said in a clipped tone, continuing to keep a vigilant watch on the ceiling. Mal frowned for a moment.

"I just have a few questions."

"I expect you do." Alexis replied in mock cordiality.

"How am I supposed to know you ain't fakin' this for the Alliance?" Mal asked.

"You don't," Alexis answered shortly. Mal was hoping for an explanation but when none came he continued.

"How'd your mother die?" Alexis finally responded physically. Her whole body tensed as her eyes fell from the ceiling and looked down.

"She once said she died a little each day without the ones she loved. I always thought she meant my grandparents, but…" Her eyes began to flash. "How could you?" She hissed. Mal was impressed that she still did not make eye contact.

"I couldn't have her be used against me. I wanted to keep her safe. The Alliance is a sneaky business." Mal defended, if poorly.

"You couldn't even let her know discreetly you were alive? You couldn't have told her it wasn't her fault? You couldn't have left any indication that you were such a _hwoon dahn_ and that you regretted it? Or do you not regret it?" Her eyes moved about the ceiling and walls, but never to Mal. Absentmindedly, she had begun fingering the ring on her finger; twirling it around and around.

"I'm the one asking questions here." Mal raised his voice.

"You left her to die on her own accord. Do you deny it, Captain?" Alexis was smooth and cold, yet Mal could feel the invisible venom burning him.

"No, but-,"

"You know, I don't know what my mother ever saw in you? In my research I've seen every atrocity you've committed. You and your crew of misfits, you slimy snake!" She spat. Now Mal was flaming mad. He stood up and loomed over her bed.

"Listen, I don't care that you're crazy, I don't care that you're my alleged daughter. I care about how my wife died and why!"

"Because of you!" Alexis screamed shrilly, standing up now reaching only to Mal's shoulder. For the first time she looked him in the eyes. Mal could see the welling tears in hers. "Can't you see how much pain you've caused me? How my life has been turned upside down because of you? What's so wrong with apologizing, with returning to her?" Two hot angry tears slipped down her porcelain cheek. "What's so wrong with coming back from the dead?" She yelled.

"Because I couldn't face her again, not after I shamed her!" Mal yelled back. "Bringing her along had already ruined her. I gave her a chance to make a new life without me. She didn't need me." Alexis stopped yelling and only backed up, more anger spilling over her cheeks.

"She didn't need you?" She whispered. Reaching down the front of her shirt she pulled out a long metal chain. On the end of the chain two squares of metal dangled, both charred and dirty. Pulling the chain over her head Alexis held them up to Mal. He recognized them immediately. They were-,

"Your dog tags. She held these next to her heart until the day she died. While lying in bed she gave them to me. She told me that now she was sick and dying she wouldn't need a piece of him, meaning you. Do you not know what love is? It's undying. Except when the love is not real, just a sham." Mal didn't know what to say. He could only stare at the faintly gleaming tags as they swayed back and forth. He looked into her eyes, his own eyes reflected back. There was nothing he could say. All he could do was nod and leave. So he did.

Alexis sat down on her bed after he closed the door behind him. Pulling her legs up to her chest she sobbed into them. It had been only a matter of time before she'd cry about all this, she'd known that. But she didn't think it would hurt so much.

"River," Simon called once more. Then he saw his sister dance around the corner.

"Yes, Simon?"

"You must be hungry. You haven't eaten in a while. Kaylee and I left some protein packs open for you. We're going to bed. If you need anything… well I'm sure you can handle yourself." Simon smiled. River smiled back genuinely, something that used to be a rare occurrence but now was a common gift to everyone.

"Thank you Simon." With that she wrapped her soft arms around him and gave him a quick hug. "Now go get some sleep. Kaylee needs it." Simon was concerned.

"Why?" River turned and began fixing her food.

"She has an illness. Keep her rested and she'll be fine." Simon had learned not to question River after all their time in hiding together.

"Night River." Simon said as he left.

"Good night," she said brightly. Simon silently noted how she sorted each protein pack by color, code number, expiration date, and food group. He had to smile to himself. She was almost normal, almost.

Mal sat at the controls, aimlessly swerving back and forth still on course. He was mulling over everyone's reaction to Alexis. His head was screaming "You Moron! Push her off a high precipice first chance you get!" but deep, deep, deep, deep, down his fiery cold heart whispered to him, "Hold up, let this run itself out. Maybe there's something to been had here." Mal thought about Kaylee. She'd liked Alexis a lot, mostly because of the closeness in age. That's why she got on with River so well. Jayne had disliked her but he seemed to tolerate her fine now that he was guarding her as a prisoner. Simon did exactly what he did with everyone else: treated them cordially and pleasantly. Unfortunately Mal knew why. Simon's medical training had forced him to greet everyone as if they were a critically injured and unstable patient. From the outside looking in, Mal saw that examining eye and intelligent brow. But Mal also noticed the more Simon warmed up to the person, the more relaxed and less analytical. Inara had been cold, but she'd been giving everyone a slightly cold shoulder ever since she'd come back. Mal didn't know why, but he pegged it on womanly prerogative. Zoe… Zoe was different lately. Much more on edge, far more scrupulous, and tense ever since the memorial for her beloved. She was changed, and Mal couldn't think of any way to bring the old Zoe back. It was easy now a days to tick her off to gun point. She was not as tough as nails anymore. Her soul had taken so much in so little time she'd become fragile glass underneath a steel covering. She could take a beating and survive, but she'd be shattered inside.

Alexis raged silently in her room. A matter as small as this that ticked her off made her even more ticked off. She knew she had reason to feel this way, but never had and was afraid and angry at it. Sitting in front of the mirror in her cabin her tear streaked face gleamed back at her through the halogen lit air. Staring at the mess of dirty blond locks on her head she sighed and rested her head in her arms and sobbed some more. There was a small knock at the door. Stopping quickly, Alexis tried to wipe her eyes and clean herself up before the door opened. Too late. The figure who walked in was the beautiful Companion Alexis had seen arguing with Mal when she came aboard. There was a cold edge about her. She didn't even look at Alexis.

"I brought you your dinner. When you're done just leave it by the door." She laid the plate on the bed, turning to leave.

"Thank you," Alexis tried to keep the rising emotion from her voice, but was unsuccessful. Inara's head snapped up. Compassion filled her round eyes as she closed the door.

"Are you all right?" She said it in such a soothing tone Alexis couldn't help but breakdown into fresh sobs.

"Nothing is going as planned. I don't do well with indecision. I-I don't know what to do about the Captain. The whole crew hates me. I don't know what to do." She sobbed hopelessly. Inara swooped down and put her arms around Alexis, leading her to the bed where she sat her down and let her cry.

"Shh, there there. The captain's just an insensitive beast who doesn't know what to do."

"I'm worse. I tried to kill him. I tried to kill my own father. I looked forward to seeing his blood spew from his mouth. I wanted to see him suffer. Part of me still does. Who in their right mind does that?" Alexis sniffled into Inara's shoulder. Inara had no answer.

Mal was tired; he had been for a while even though sleep never seemed to do anything. He flipped the auto pilot switch and walked down towards his bunk. A guilty feeling caused him to take the long way and hit the kitchen for some comfort food. River was cleaning up. He nodded in acknowledgement and she smiled back. Nothing else was said. Mal grabbed a pack of chocolate flavored ration squares and headed back out. On his way back he passed the cabin area. Jayne lay asleep by the door, clutching his new precious prize. Mal looked at the door and found it open a crack. Pulling out his gun he crept up and stood next to the door. Voices came from inside.

"So what did you think of Iego?" A deep melodious voice asked.

"Breathtakingly beautiful, I drew most of the time and wished I could write but I'm not gifted with words." Answered a smaller voice, higher and more delicate. Inara was in with Alexis! Mal was angry, yet again.

Alexis sat still as a statue as Inara pulled a brush through her red hair. It was relaxing and cleared her mind quite a bit. Inara's soft voice helped to soothe Alexis's anxiety. Alexis had become so frustrated with her circumstances that even trying to do her own hair had nearly driven her insane. She hated being emotionally compromised. Out here in wild country it seemed she'd have to cope alone for a little while and get her act together. Inara was kind enough to help.

The two talked of old memories of places and people they'd seen. Inara had seen and known so many exciting people; it had Alexis entranced. She herself had seen many wonderful things, but found Inara far more interesting. They were discussing a planet called Iego.

"So what do you think of Iego?" Inara inquired of Alexis, whose eyes were closed in thought. After a deep breath she opened them and spoke.

"Breathtakingly beautiful, I drew most of the time and wished I could write but I'm not gifted with words." She answered. Alexis suddenly whipped around to look in the doorway.

"What's wro-," Inara turned and held the rest of the question. Mal stood in the doorway, his gun in his hand by his side.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, aiming it toward Inara. Alexis decided to answer instead.

"This is my cabin, _Sir,_" She impaled the word. "I'm not sure what you're used to, but I can say I was under the impression that I was to _stay_ here." She put emphasis on "stay". Mal ignored her. He looked to Inara expectantly.

"Mal, don't look at me like that." Inara groaned.

"Like what?" He put on an innocent air. Inara darkened slightly.

"Like the look you reserve for me when you believe it is _I_ who am the wrong doer."

"You sayin' I'm a wrong doer?" Mal challenged. Inara met it with full force.

"In a way yes. When he can't even carry on a controlled conversation with his own flesh and blood daughter, I believe the man to be-,"

"A what? A sinner?" Mal mocked.

"You said it, not me." Inara turned to Alexis. "I'm sorry. I have to go now. We'll talk more later."

"Good night." Alexis said. Mal was left alone with her.

"Well, goodnight." He said. When he walked out and shut the door. Sighing and rolling his eyes, he put a kick into Jayne's side.

"Gorramit! Who the he-," He looked up and saw Mal and shut his mouth.

"Fallin' asleep on duty? Not exactly what I'd call upstandin'." Jayne was chagrined. Mal was ready for sleep. But he didn't know if he was ready for dreams

"Sir, give her some time." Zoe consoled her captain at the bridge.

"But if she doesn't learn to-," Mal started, but Zoe stopped him.

"What? Control her temper, sir? With all due respect, you still haven't learned to control your own." Zoe said firmly. She'd been there listening to him complain for long enough.

"Well, anyways, she should come down off her high cloud back to reality soon. I plan on dropping her off the first chance we get, Alliance or not."

"You're just going to throw her out?" Kaylee asked, ducking into the cockpit.

"Yes, you gotta problem with that?" Mal challenged. Kaylee shrunk back for a moment, but then straightened her shoulders and stuck her chin out defiantly.

"As a matter o' fact, I do. I didn't take you for one to maliciously abandon a teenage girl on a planet all by herself. You might as well just sell her off as a slave, get some money off of her." Kaylee's frown was pure, even under the smudge on her nose.

"Kaylee, I-," Mal started, feeling bad for offending her.

"No, Cap'n. I understand. Always lookin' out for number one. You wouldn't know love if it danced naked in front o' you." Kaylee dropped the crate of tools she'd been delivering on the ground with a resounding clank. She stormed out of there with heat coming off of her. Mal growled and turned to the side of the ship. With a growl he aimed a hard kick at the wall. The echoing clanks and groans that came from _Serenity_ were not encouraging. Mal looked at the wall and rested his hand on it lovingly.

"Sorry, baby." He turned to see Zoe shaking her head. "What?" He asked.

"If you treat your only family as you treat a ship, you've got another thing coming. One day you'll wake up and the family you thought you had will be gone forever, taken from you or pushed away by you. Either one you'll regret. Now if you'll excuse me, I am going to retire to my bunk." Zoe left Mal to himself. He walked over to the pilot's chair and groaned. He felt really bad now. They'd been an odd couple, Zoe and Wash, but Mal knew they loved each other very much. He'd practically insulted her sense of relationship with his heated emotions.

"Captain?" Mal turned to find River standing in the doorway. The way the light shone from behind her made her look almost angelic. She'd pulled her brown hair into a head band away from her face. It still tumbled down her back gracefully.

"Yeah?" Mal answered.

"You need some sleep. You look like you've been put through the mill. Shall I take over for a little while?" Mal shook his head.

"No, but thanks River." Mal said taking the wheel. There was a silence between them as if the vacuum beyond the glass before them had leaked in. River took her usual seat in the co pilot's chair, curling up in her feline way. Her brown eyes grew wide as she observed. Mal was amazed at how much of a sponge she was, taking in every detail in every room and beyond. Simon had worked so hard to get her to this stable point; he must have loved her very much. Mal stopped staring and went back to contemplating his own family problems.

"She loves you." River announced suddenly. Mal looked over with a quizzical look.

"Beg yer pardon?"

"She loves you, you know. The girl. She's loved you for a long time, but she's never been able to express it." Mal was still at a loss for words. "The look in her eyes and her body language clash, meaning she's hiding her emotions. She may act rigid and loathsome to you, but when you look at her expressions you can see they are only a mask." River's face was serene and smooth, giving nothing away. Mal finally regained his voice.

"H-how in the worlds would you know?" River turned to Mal and chuckled reminiscently as if remembering a childhood event.

"When the Alliance cuts and replaces parts of your brain, you're bound to find strange attributes." Taking a deep breath she looked back to the blanket of stars. After attempting to stifle a yawn, she leaned back and closed her eyes. For some reason she never liked her own bed, Mal noticed.

"Are you sure?" Mal asked quietly. River opened one eye.

"You are the same on many levels, but different on many others. She was brought up to hate you, but how can you hate something you're curious about? Her inherent love spawned curiosity. Besides, between your pigheadedness and her overblown desire to win you'll balance each other out in the end." River turned her head toward the doorway. A faint voice called her name. She'd known the person would call. Graceful as a ballet dancer she descended from her metal perch and glided out. At the door she turned back to Mal.

"Please excuse me, Captain." She melted away from the door. Mal wasn't sure if she was apologizing for leaving him alone, or insulting him. She'd probably meant it to be that way.

_Mal was sitting on the grassy knoll, staring at the horizon. Down the hill a small giggle erupted and tinkled softly in his ears. Looking down he saw a beautiful little girl with bouncy blond curls running up the hill towards him. Her feet were bare and her dress was simple. It was her bright blue eyes that made Mal smile. _

_ "Daddy!" She squealed. Mal stood up and held his arms out. With a great jump she leapt into his arms. Whirling her around, Mal held her close. But as he stared at her face it began to change. Suddenly standing before him was Alexis, holding a bloody needle she had just pulled from his neck. Her sinister laughter filled his ears as Mal tried to scream. The feeling in his spine was gone, he could no longer stand. The edges of his vision began to fuzz and turn black. A sick gurgling noise escaped his lips as he began foaming at the mouth. _

Mal sat up straight. He had fallen asleep at the helm again. A cold sweat had broken out over his brow. Just to make sure, Mal held his hands out in front of him and then felt his neck. Nothing. Suddenly, that awful gurgling sound he'd heard reached his ears. It was coming from the residences. Quietly, Mal put Serenity on auto pilot and headed to see what was going on. He heard it again, distinctly coming from Zoe's room.

"Zoe? Zoe? You all right in there?" There was no answer. With a few steps Mal hopped down the ladder into Zoe's little apartment. It was neat, and clean, nothing out of the ordinary for her. A movement in the corner caught his eye. Zoe leaned against a wall, her head near the toilet.

"Sorry, sir. I couldn't answer before. You'll understand." As Mal looked closely he could swear he saw tears in her eyes. Mal could guess why. It had only been a few short months since Zoe lost Wash. They really loved each other, and that was hard to find in the 'Verse. The only other time Mal had seen her cry was at his memorial. During the service not a tear was shed. During the moment of silence all water works were stopped. It was only when Mal informed her that they had to leave that she finally broke down. She was a strong woman, Zoe was. Nothing could break her. But this came pretty close.

"Zoe, you ok?" Mal squatted down next to her.

"Yes, Captain. I'll be fine. Just a little under the weather." She smiled her warm, earthy smile. Mal didn't buy it though. She stood up and straightened out her shirt and gun belt.

"I think you should take it easy." Mal cautioned.

"Sir, with all due respect, you can't run this ship without me." Zoe tried to take a few steps but had to stop. The dizzy look in her eye convinced Mal.

"That's it. I order you to stay here and rest. No buts about it. Take it easy." Mal led her over to her bed. To Mal's surprise, she didn't protest or complain.

"Whatever you say, sir."

"Man, if you were going to give up that fast I would have-," Mal began. She cut him off.

"Out!" He smiled and climbed up the ladder.

Once out Mal flipped the lid on the control pad and expertly entered in a lock key. The red light flickered on above the door. Mal didn't want to have to fight her. The crashing of glass caught his attention. Taking off at a sprint, Mal headed for the infirmary. Inside a horrible sight awaited him. Kaylee, little Kaylee, was leaning over a bowl vomiting blood. A terrified expression filled her eyes. Her husband, Simon, was frantically searching for something.

"What's wrong?" Mal asked.

"Kaylee's sick. I can't get her to hold still long enough to figure out what wrong with her. I can't get her to calm down either. If she goes into shock I won't know how to treat it and she could die." Simon located a clear bottle of something and began measuring a syringe. Mal quickly grabbed onto Kaylee's shaking shoulders and held her down to the chair. Her wide eyes couldn't quite focus on him, but Mal could see her recognition of him.

"Kaylee, I need you to hold still fer a minute. Doc's trying to fix you up and he can't do that if you keep moving around. Kaylee, look at me. Yer gonna be ok, ya hear?" Mal held her firmly in place while Simon injected the medication. Kaylee's breathing was still ragged but Mal could see she was trying hard to hold still.

"Cap'n," Mal heard Jayne call from behind.

"I'm a li'l busy at the moment."

"It's the girl." Mal looked up.

"What about 'er?"

"She says she can help Kaylee."

"Why did you leave her alone?" Mal let go of Kaylee and marched over to Jayne.

"I locked the door." Jayne defended. Mal just groaned and hurried off to Alexis's room.

The faded opaque glass glowed yellow as he approached. A silhouette of a girl leaned against the inside. A pounding also entered Mal's consciousness.

"Let me out… I can… help her. We're… all gonna die…if you … leave… me here. Let me… out!" Alexis's muffled voice sounded faded and worn. Angered, Mal drew his gun and unlocked the door. Jayne stormed in right behind him. Training the gun on the girl's heart Mal sneered.

"You have five seconds to tell me what the hell's goin' on here. What's wrong with Kaylee? How do you know? Did you do it? Hurry up, I ain't got all day." Alexis looked up bleary eyed and green. Her skin was clammy. Her mouth opened as if to answer, but instead she ended up doubled over emptying the contents of her stomach onto Mal's boots.

"Kaylee's throwing up blood now, isn't she?" Alexis asked as she wiped her mouth.

"How do you know?" Mal asked, keeping the gun on her.

"I told him this would happen." Alexis was getting worse by the minute. "I told him if he didn't give me my gun we'll all be dead." Mal looked to Jayne. Jayne had nothing to say.

"Why did you ask for your gun?"

"It holds the antidote. Corporal Moron over there didn't believe me. You've got to believe me. My own life is at stake, I am not trying to kill anyone. And if we keep wasting time with stupid questions Kaylee is going to die, with me and Jayne not far behind." Jayne's eyes widened, and Alexis caught it. "Yes, Jayne, you will die too. Slowly, painfully, and there's not a thing you can do." Quickly, Jayne reached into his holster and pulled out Sheng. He nearly pushed it into Alexis's hands. Without a word she flipped the gun over and popped open a secret compartment kept in the butt of the gun. She pulled out a miniscule green capsule the size of a pin head and quickly swallowed it. Her delicate fingers fished out another and handed it over to Jayne. Hastily, he grabbed it and nearly inhaled the small pill.

"Where's Kaylee?" Alexis asked herself this question, more than Mal. Mal was slightly impressed that she didn't care she was at gunpoint, she was only thinking of saving Kaylee. But that still didn't stop his suspicions.

Alexis ran out of the room and dashed to the infirmary. Mal and Jayne barreled in close behind. Simon had an I.V. line running in Kaylee's arm as he tried to extract a blood sample. Kaylee's pale face was transparent, her lips a pale and grim looking shade of purple.

"Move," ordered Alexis to Simon. Simon did not appreciate being told what to do and was about to protest when he saw her administering something to Kaylee.

"What is that?" Simon asked. Mal stopped in the doorway as Alexis pushed the capsule into Kaylee's open mouth.

"The antidote," Alexis said, a far off look was fogging her eyes.

"Antidote?" Simon looked to Kaylee and saw the color was immediately returning to her face. The wide eyed look was turning to a drowsy smile.

"Thanks, baby." Kaylee whispered hoarsely to Simon. Her eyes closed and she was fast asleep. Alexis nodded and fought to keep her own eyes open.

"Now that that is taken care of… I think… I will just… pass out… now… you know?" Alexis fell to the floor as her own drug took effect. Mal hmphed in a _serves you right_ sort of way. Suddenly behind him there was a loud _thunk._ He turned to see Jayne passed out on the floor behind him.

Alexis opened her eyes and tried to roll over and stretch but found herself bound, lying on the hard floor in the hallway. In her line of sight she saw two pairs of boots, one supple and light the other built for comfort and protection. Sighing, she rolled her eyes and looked up to see the Captain and Jayne staring down at her.

"This is the second time I have woken up in chains."

"Don't push yourself, I'm not really in a very generous mood." Mal said flatly. Alexis just shrugged.

"You know those Child Protection laws of the Alliance would have a field day about this."

"Good thing we don't give a damn what the Alliance thinks then, isn't it?" Mal asked rhetorically.

"Yes sir," Jayne answered.

"Help her up," Mal pointed to Alexis' helpless form. Jayne reached down and hoisted her up like she was a feather and plopped her down on a chair like a sack of potatoes.

"Umph! You know, you could be a little nicer, Corporal Moron." Alexis prodded.

"How about I just strangle you, Sassy?" Jayne growled. She just shrugged again. Mal had had enough.

"Okay, no more bull stories from you. I thought you might want to know that we got the antidote administered to Kaylee, Jayne and Zoe safely so you-," Alexis cut him off.

"Zoe? She never came in contact with it. Why would you give her the antidote?" She asked. Mal's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"She was pukin' just the same as all o' you."

"Well whatever she's got, I didn't give it to her." Alexis stated firmly. Mal looked to Jayne and they both thought the same thing.

"You stay here," Mal said to Alexis. She snorted.

"As if I had a choice?" Mal and Jayne both headed off to the Infirmary.

"Doc!" Mal called, reaching the sterilized environment. "Doc,"

"What?" Simon asked from the computer terminal.

"Something's wrong with Zoe,"

"What do you mean?" Simon didn't even turn around, still inputting data and checking test results. Mal walked up and put his hand over the computer screen.

"She wasn't poisoned." Mal said in a low voice. Simon was quiet a moment while his Simon brain swapped over to his Doc brain.

"Get her in here, I want to do a full physical of her now." Simon closed down the computer and began prepping the infirmary. Mal looked to Jayne and they both headed for the residences.

Reaching her door, Mal pounded on the metal hatch.

"Zoe? Zoe, open up." He shouted. There was no answer. Unlocking the hatch, the two men hustled down the stairs. In the deep gloom Mal saw Zoe's shape passed out on the bed.

"She's still out from the drug." Jayne guessed. "I got 'er." Mal nodded to Jayne and helped hoist her out of the room.

"River, hand me another wipe." Simon asked his sister as they cleaned up the tools. River did as she was asked then took up her perch on the counter again.

"She's here," River murmured while staring at her brother.

"What was that?" He asked as Mal rushed in followed closely by Jayne who cradled Zoe in his arms. Simon forgot about his last question and went to work.

"Gentlemen, I think it would be best if you waited outside." Simon advised. At first Mal resisted but Jayne placed a large hand on his shoulder. Mal conceded and they headed back to Alexis.

"Ah, Captain Skip returns with his trusty sidekick Corporal Moron." Alexis sighs when she sees them approaching. Mal bit his tongue remembering she was doing that on purpose, just to make him mad.

"Let's get her back into her room and lock 'er up." Mal said to Jayne, completely ignoring her. She noticed this.

"Fine, ignore me, see if I care. It's what you've done to me and my mom for the past sixteen years, heck I can take it a little longer." She said in a mockingly resigned tone. Mal wondered what sins he'd committed to deserve such torture.

An hour or so later the rest of the ship was quietly idling as the sleep cycle started up again. Mal still paced in front of the infirmary, noticing through the windows that Zoe was awake and discussing something with the Doc. How he wished he could hear what was going on. Relief still filled him at seeing her awake and normal, but in the back of his head he thought he noticed something different about her. He couldn't place it but there was something wrong.

Simon finally opened the doors up. Mal stared intently at the good doctor who seemed to be smiling.

"How is she, Doc?" Mal asked, concern dripping from his every word. Simon actually chuckled.

"I think she'll live, Captain. Why don't you go in there and talk to her yourself?" Simon nodded his head towards Zoe. "As for me, I am going to find my wife and get a decent night's rest."

"Thanks Doc," Mal nodded. Simon nodded back then disappeared into the dark hallway.

"How ya feelin'?" Mal asked Zoe.

"Just fine, Captain, thank you for your concern." Zoe said in her low smooth voice.

"Gave us a good scare there."

"I have to keep you on your toes somehow, sir. Won't happen again, I promise." She smiled. There was still that sadness there, sitting in the corner of her mouth. It had used to cover her entire face for the weeks after Wash's passing, but now it had retreated to the small space in her smile. Mal wished he could find some way to comfort his trusty first mate but he had never gone through what she had. But he also noticed there was something new in her smile. Resolution. Could it be that she was finally accepting and coming to grips with her loss? Mal didn't want to pry any further and dropped that train of thought right there. But he couldn't help it.

"Is there… anything wrong? Ya know you can tell me anythin'."

"No sir, I am just fine."

"So there's nothing wrong with you?"

"Just a little bug, sir, nothing to worry about." Zoe's soothing tones were the salve to Mal's fried nerves.

"Okay then. Well, I am going to retire to my quarters, take two large sleeping pills, and not waking up until I know this whole thing has been a nightmare and nothing more."

"Sir, can I ask you something?" Zoe asked as Mal was about to turn to leave.

"Sure, anythin' you want."

"I understand if you don't want to answer-,"

"Just ask," Mal interjected. Zoe looked straight into Mal's eyes in her "all seeing" way. Mal swore she could read his mind just by looking at him.

"Sir, what did you feel when you first found out you had a daughter?" Mal was taken aback. He had to think about that one a moment. Secretly, he knew in his heart of hearts that it was true but still his brain could not completely grasp it.

"I know its personal,"

"No, no, its fine. Well, uh… I guess, I guess I just felt surprised, really shocked. I had never imagined having a kid. Well I'd imagined it, a lot when I was young, but now a days the thought never crossed my mind. But now that she's here… its just strange to get used to."

"You know she cares for you, right?"

"River said that too. How is it that only the women on this ship can see that?"

"It takes one to know one." Zoe smiled knowingly. Mal nodded.

"Ain't that the truth," A small silence grew between them, "Now, go get some rest. And are you sure there's nothing wrong? Nothing you want to talk about?"

"No, sir, I think I just need a little alone time."

"Okay, 'night Zoe."

"Night, Mal."


End file.
